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High court nominee: I’ll be unbiased or ‘hang up the robe’ AP National News

March 21, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) â Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch pledged to be independent or “hang up the robe” as the U.S. Senate began rancorous hearings Monday on President Donald Trump’s conservative pick to fill a Supreme Court seat that has been vacant for more than a year. Gorsuch sought to take the edge off Democratic complaints that he has favored the wealthy and powerful in more than 10 years as a federal judge. The 49-year-old Coloradan told the Senate Judiciary Committee he has tried to be a “neutral and independent” judge and has ruled both for and against disabled students, prisoners and workers alleging civil rights violations. “But my decisions have never reflected a judgment about the people before me, only my best judgment about the law and facts at issue in each particular case,” Gorsuch said. That was his opening statement a day ahead of expected pointed questioning from committee Democrats. A Supreme Court confirmation hearing is a major occasion on Capitol Hill â the last one was in 2010 â but Monday’s was overshadowed by a separate event in the Capitol complex. On the House side, FBI Director James Comey was testifying that the bureau is investigating Russian meddling in last year’s election and possible links and coordination between Russia and associates of Trump. Blending the two hearings, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut referred to “a looming constitutional crisis” that the Supreme Court might need to resolve. The court’s eight current justices are roughly divided ideologically between conservatives…more detail

left right FILE PHOTO - The GM logo is seen in Warren, Michigan, U.S. on October 26, 2015. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo 1/3 left right A sign marks Clark Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram dealership in Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S. January 25, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder 2/3 left right FILE PHOTO: Snowflakes are seen on the badge of a Ford car in Warsaw, Poland, December 17, 2016. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo 3/3 WASHINGTON The chief executives of 18 major automakers and their U.S. units urged President Donald Trump to revisit a decision by the Obama administration to lock in vehicle fuel efficiency rules through 2025.…... [read more]

A 28-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of hacking into US military and US government computer systems. Lauri Love, arrested in Suffolk under the Computer Misuse Act, has been released on bail until next February. The US authorities claim he placed "back doors" in hacked networks to steal data. The arrest was the culmination of a joint investigation by the UK's National Crime Agency and the FBI. According to the US authorities, the arrested man hacked into systems of the US Army, Nasa and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others. He has been charged in the US with…... [read more]

Ireland's environmental protection agency has approved the first trial of a genetically modified potato crop. Scientists say the plants have been designed to improve resistance to blight. They argue that the type of genetic modification used is akin to conventional breeding. But the decision has been severely criticised by campaigners who say that there will be "grave ramifications" for the country. It is only a two hectare trial, but that's like saying you're only a little bit pregnant, there are no grey areas with GM.Gavin Lynch, Organic Trust Late blight is sometimes said to be the most dangerous potato disease…... [read more]

Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn has resigned following the revelation that the firm manipulated US diesel car emissions tests. Mr Winterkorn said he was "shocked" by recent events and that the firm needed a "fresh start". He added that he was "not aware of any wrongdoing on my part" but was acting in the interest of the company. VW has already said that it is setting aside €6.5bn (£4.7bn) to cover the costs of the scandal. The world's biggest carmaker admitted last week that it deceived US regulators in exhaust emissions tests by installing a device to give more positive…... [read more]

Volkswagen has reported its first quarterly loss for at least 15 years after taking a big charge to cover the costs of its emissions scandal. VW said it had set aside €6.7bn ($7.4bn; £4.8bn) to cover the scandal, leaving it with a €2.52bn pre-tax loss for the third quarter of the year. In September, VW admitted installing software to cheat emissions tests in 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide. Despite the scandal the company still expects sales to grow this year. However, VW said it expected profits for the full year to be "down significantly". 'Manageable' burden In the…... [read more]

One German newspaper has described Volkswagen's rigging of emission tests as the "most expensive act of stupidity in the history of the car industry". To that might be added that VW could now be entering one of the longest legal nightmares in corporate history. The legal fallout from the scandal is potentially so vast and its tentacles so international and numerous that it lends credence to the joke: "These days there are two types of lawyer. Those instructed by Volkswagen and those about to be instructed by Volkswagen." Thus far, at least 10 government authorities around the world have opened…... [read more]

The chief executives of 18 major automakers and their U.S. units urged President Donald Trump to revisit a decision by the Obama administration to lock in vehicle fuel efficiency rules through 2025. In a letter sent late Friday and viewed by Reuters, the chief executives of General Motors, Ford Motor, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, along with the top North American executives at Toyota Motor, Volkswagen, Honda Motor, Hyundai Motor, Nissan Motor, and others urged Trump to reverse the decision, warning thousands of jobs could be at risk. On Jan. 13, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a determination…... [read more]

Plenty of numbers differentiate President-elect Donald Trump from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. There's 270, the number of electoral votes it took for Trump to be declared the winner of presidential election. There's about 206,000, the number by which Clinton led the popular vote on the evening of November 9. There's also 3.4 billion, the number of additional tons of carbon dioxide that the emerging-technology research firm Lux Research expects the US would emit in two terms of a Trump presidency, compared with a theoretical two-term Clinton administration. That's a disconcerting amount of CO2, as meteorologist Eric Holthaus said on Twitter…... [read more]

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........New Mexico is home to some of our nation’s richest and most promising natural resource deposits.From rare earth minerals to natural gas and oil, the state has the opportunity to put the United States on the map as the world’s leader in safe, reliable mineral production. Unfortunately, after years of the government layering on red tape, many of these industries no longer exist. This doesn’t just hamper our country’s ability to compete and provide for itself – it hampers and kills everything from…... [read more]

Fiat Chrysler Wants to Collaborate With Others on New Vehicles: CEO Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said his company is in talks with other automakers to share the costs of developing new vehicles and technology, particularly to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and called on the United States to ease fuel economy targets for 2025. The U.S. g duration: 1:01 published: 13 Jan 2015 updated: 13 Jan 2015 views: 112 Fiat Chrysler is Trying to Find a Buyer, Wants Industry to Merge FCA's Sergio Marchionne is trying to find a buyer in an effort to consolidate the auto industry.…... [read more]